NW Washington News

On January 11, 2023, Whatcom Community College (WCC) and Kulshan Community Media/KMRE 102.3 FM (KMRE) are delighted to announce an exciting partnership that will create new opportunities for WCC students and a new home for the community radio station. KMRE will now be affiliated with and headquartered on the WCC campus. This partnership officially connects the community’s local college with the community’s local radio station. The station draws an enthusiastic local audience and looks forward to expanding listenership.

KMRE, Whatcom County’s oldest independent community radio station, was recently granted FCC approval to expand the station’s signal from 100 watts to 2,000 watts. This expansion will increase broadcast coverage to all of Whatcom County and most of San Juan Islands. This partnership between KMRE and WCC will benefit this expanded community of listeners with new programming produced in coordination with college journalism courses, as well as with other WCC programming teams.  KMRE will become a learning lab where students and community members will receive hands-on training in radio broadcasting, podcasting, and news and information reporting. Working in partnership with the WCC journalism department will enable KMRE to expand local news and information coverage.

“A new home for KMRE will enable the station to expand beyond Bellingham and be more reflective of broader Whatcom County, bringing important news stories, ideas and experiences to audiences throughout our region,” said Co-President of the Kulshan Community Media Board of Directors Suzanne Blais. Elizabeth Joffrion, KMRE co-President agrees. “Working together provides a wonderful pathway to greater impact, sustainability, and public service.”

“As an institution of higher education WCC shares knowledge and provide opportunities for our community to engage in productive and effective dialogue across different ideological perspectives.  Having KMRE on campus offers another means of empowering our students through real-world experience, sharing their voices, and providing a platform to engage with their local community,” said WCC President, Kathi Hiyane-Brown.

KMRE provides accessible news and information programming made by community volunteers for local listeners and is a key goal of the expanding station. Opportunities are not limited to WCC students–anyone who wants to learn, including high school students and community members, are welcome at KMRE. No experience is required. KMRE News can be heard on the station Monday through Friday at 3, 4, and 5 p.m. at 102.3 FM, or listened to on-demand at kmre.org.

About Whatcom: Whatcom Community College (WCC) in Bellingham, Washington is regularly recognized as one of the top community colleges in the nation for student outcomes. The College, a destination for cybersecurity, healthcare and business studies, offers two bachelor of applied science degrees, transfer degrees, career and workforce preparation, online courses, and community education classes. New high school graduates, laid-off workers, seasoned employees, future university students—all students count on WCC to support their academic and career goals. For more information, visit www.whatcom.edu.

Original source can be found here.